Explore the importance of freshwater and investigate river health through hands-on activities exploring water pollution,conservation and water quality.

The Water Pollution topic is part of the TweedWATCH Education Pack, created as part of the wider Destination Tweed project. Rooted in the river tweed catchment, it uses a place-based approach to explore why freshwater matters, the pressures facing freshwater ecosystems and how we can help protect them. Activities can also be easily adapted for use alongside other rivers, streams, ponds or local freshwater habitats.

Two flexible lesson plans take learners from understanding freshwater as a precious resource to investigating the health of a local river or other freshwater habitat. The importance of freshwater explores freshwater scarcity, the water cycle, frets to freshwater habitats, water use and practical actions learners can take to conserve water and reduce pollution.

The river health check takes learning outdoors, encouraging learners to look for signs of a healthy or unhealthy river and investigate possible sources of pollution. Learners can collect water samples, record observations, carry out simple water quality testing and consider how features such as plants, wildlife and the surrounding landscape can provide clues about the health of a freshwater ecosystem.

The resource includes:

-Two flexible lesson plans with teacher guidance
-Freshwater, water cycle and water conservation activities
-A practical river health check and field work worksheets
-Guidance for investigating water quality and interpreting results
-Activities exploring sources and impacts of water pollution
-A nutrient pollution investigation
-Field sketch and observation activities
-Games and worksheets exploring freshwater threats and positive actions
-A separate printable Habitat Hoops card resource
-Curriculum links and a glossary